Craig Moore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Craig Moore

Moore in 2008 playing for Queensland Roar
Personal information
Full name	Craig Andrew Moore
Date of birth	(1975-12-12) 12 December 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	1.85 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Youth career
1991	North Star
1992–1993	AIS
1993–1994	Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1998	Rangers	74	(5)
1998–1999	Crystal Palace	23	(3)
1999–2005	Rangers	100	(9)
2005	Borussia Mönchengladbach	13	(1)
2005–2007	Newcastle United	25	(0)
2007–2009	Brisbane Roar	57	(3)
2010	Kavala	11	(1)
2010	Brisbane Strikers	0	(0)
2011	Werribee City
Total		303	(22)
National team
1991	Australia U17	8	(0)
1992–1993	Australia U20	24	(0)
1996–1998	Australia U23	8	(1)
2004	Australia Olympic (O.P.)	3	(0)
1995–2010	Australia	52	(3)
Honours Representing  Australia Men's Association football FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze 2001 Yokohama OFC U-23 Championship Winner 1996 Adelaide OFC U-17 Championship Winner 1991 Napier
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Craig Andrew Moore (born 12 December 1975) is an Australian former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender in the middle of the field. People described him as a tough and calm player.

Craig grew up in Sydney, Australia. He is famous for playing many years with the Rangers club in Scotland. He played 252 games for them between 1993 and 2005. He also spent a season in England with Crystal Palace. At Rangers, he became a team captain and won many league and cup trophies.

After leaving Rangers, Craig played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany and Newcastle United in England. He then returned to Australia to play for Queensland Roar (now Brisbane Roar) as their captain. Later, he played briefly in Greece.

Craig also played for the Australian national team over 50 times. He played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup. He even captained the national team several times.

Early Life and Training

Craig Moore was born in Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up in Doonside. He started playing junior football with the North Star club in Brisbane when he was thirteen.

Later, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to train at the Australian Institute of Sport. While there, he became friends with another famous footballer, Mark Viduka.

A coach named Eddie Thomson helped Craig learn to play as a centre-back. This was the position he played for his whole career. His manager, Walter Smith, also thought this was his best position. He said Craig was "mobile and clever."

Club Career Highlights

Craig Moore played for several clubs during his professional career. He spent most of his time with Rangers in Scotland.

Playing for Rangers

Craig joined the Rangers youth team in 1993. He made his first team debut on 5 April 1994. He quickly became an important player.

In the 1994–95 season, he scored his first goal for Rangers. He helped the club win the league for the seventh time in a row. He also helped them win the Glasgow Cup.

Craig continued to play well for Rangers. He helped them win the league for the eighth and ninth time in a row. He also won the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.

In 1998, he left Rangers for a short time. But he returned in 1999. He helped Rangers win more titles, including the league and Scottish Cup in the 1999–2000 season.

The 2002–03 season was very successful for Craig and Rangers. He played a big part in their defense. He helped the club win the league, the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish League Cup. This is called winning a "domestic treble."

He left Rangers for the second time in January 2005. Overall, Craig won twelve major trophies with Rangers. This included five league championships.

Time at Crystal Palace

On 29 September 1998, Craig joined Crystal Palace in England. He played 24 games for them and scored three goals. He helped the club avoid being relegated from their league.

Playing in Germany and England

After leaving Rangers in 2005, Craig moved to Germany. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. He scored a goal in his first game for the club. He played 13 games there before moving to England.

On 30 July 2005, Craig signed with Newcastle United. This was his first time playing in the Premier League. He made his debut for Newcastle in an FA Cup match. He played 31 games for Newcastle over two seasons. However, he faced several injuries during his time there.

Back in Australia with Brisbane Roar

In July 2007, Craig returned to Australia. He signed with Queensland Roar (now Brisbane Roar) in the A-League. He became the team's captain.

He helped Brisbane Roar reach the finals series in both the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons. He was also named the club's Player of the Year twice. He left the club in December 2009 to try and play in Europe again.

Short Spell in Greece and Retirement

In January 2010, Craig moved to Greece. He joined AO Kavala. He played 13 games for them. He left the club in March 2010. He said he wanted to focus on being ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

After the World Cup, Craig played briefly for Brisbane Strikers and Werribee City. He then quietly retired from professional football in 2011.

International Career

Craig Moore played for the Australian national team, known as the Socceroos, for many years.

He made his debut for Australia on 21 June 1995. He played in the World Cup qualifiers in 1997, but Australia did not qualify.

In 2000, he scored his first goal for the national team. He played in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, where Australia won a bronze medal. He also played in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

In 2004, Craig was chosen to play for the "Olyroos," Australia's Olympic football team, at the Athens Olympics. He was the team captain. He led the team to the quarter-finals.

He also played in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Craig represented Australia in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. This was a big moment for Australian football, as it was their first World Cup since 1974. He scored a penalty kick against Croatia, which helped Australia move to the next round. Australia was eventually knocked out by Italy.

After the 2006 World Cup, Craig briefly retired from international football in 2008. However, he returned later that year.

He then played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He played in two matches during the tournament. After the 2010 World Cup, Craig officially retired from international football.

Life After Football

After retiring from playing, Craig Moore continued to work in football. In 2013, he became an advisor for Football Australia. The next year, he was an ambassador for Australia's World Cup team.

In 2015, he returned to Brisbane Roar as their Football Operations Manager. He helped the club sign new players. He left this role in 2018.

Later, Craig started a new career as a football agent. This means he helps players manage their careers.

Personal Life

Craig Moore is married to his wife, Heather. They have two children together.

In 2008, Craig received a small fine for a minor rule break related to betting on football matches. He accepted the punishment and said it was an "honest mistake."

Achievements

Rangers

• Scottish Professional Football League: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03
• Scottish Cup: 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03
• Scottish League Cup: 1996–97, 2001–02, 2002–03

Newcastle United

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006

Australia

• Queensland Roar Gary Wilkins Medal (Player of the Year): 2007–08, 2008–09
• Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame: 2011
• FFA Team of the Decade: 2000–13
• FFA Team of the Century